Tent frame



April 14, 1931. K. LANGE ET AL TENT FRAME Filed June 29 avwemcowlf-Lange MBuaclz Patented Apr. 14, 1931 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICETENT FRAME Application filed June as,

The main object of this invention is to provide a novel type of tentframe over which a tarpaulin or canvas cover is adapted to be draped,and the frame is so constructed as to be completely collapsible into acompact bundle which may be conveniently carried in a haversacl; so thatit may be useful after hiking. A rigid tent frame is provided which maybe compactly folded and is composed of a number of telescoping sections,one interlocking in extended position with the other when the device isused.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the descriptionbelow, in which characters of reference refer to like-named parts in thedrawing.

Referring briefly to the drawing, Figure 1 is longitudinal sectionalelevational view of a corner of the tent frame showing the same inextended position.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal sectional elevational view of one of theframe corners in telescoped position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view, showing the tarpaulin draped about thetent frame with one side thereof raised to provide a leanto rooI.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral indicates a spider whichhas a plurality of hollow arms 11 extending from its center. Thesehollow arms 11 are preferably four in number and are arranged atrightangles to each other. This spider 10 is enclosed by an invertedcrown 12 which is capped by a cover 13. The spider 10, crown 12 andcover 13 are secured to each other through means of a threaded stud 1 1in the manner shown in Figure 1. The crown 1 2 is provided with channelson its rim wall through which an ear 15 of the cave sections isinserted. The ear 15 is pivoted by a bolt 16 in the hollow arm 11 of thespider 10. The ear 15 is formed unitary with a collar 17 from which atubular member 18 extends at an stricted, as indicated by the numeral19.

The upper portion of the tubular member 18 1929. Serial No. 374,809.

near its outer extremity is provided with a pair of spaced-apart hingecars 20 between which an cave bar 21 is pivotally secured. This eave bar21 may be retained in a position projecting beyond the end of thetubular member 18 or in overlapped position upon this tubular member 18by resilient clips 22 mounted on the tubular member 18. The constrictedportion 19 of the tubular member prevents the removal of a ball 23 whichis slidable in said tubular member 18 and has connected thereto, throughmeans of a stud 24, a hollow rod 25. The bottom of the tubular member 18near its outer extremity is provided with a brace bracket 26 which isrigidly secured to the tubular member 18 and is provided with a stud 27which passes through the upper end of the hollow rod and secures thishollow rod 25 in arranged and orderly position when the frame is formed.The hollow rod :25 is adapted to slide into the tubular member 18. Thehollow rod 25 is adapted to receive a plurality of similarly formedunits such as those indicated bythe numerals 28 and 29, with either moreor less to suit the height of the tent frame. The hollow rod 28 and allsimilar rods which extend from this rod 28 are provided with an enlargedflanged upper end which seats on the constricted lower end 31 of thenext higher member when these rods 25, 28 and 29 are in extendedposition. This construction is illustrated in Figure 1. All of thehollow rods continuing from the uppermost hollow rod 25 are providedwith the flanged end 30 at their upper ends, and at their lower ends areconstricted as indicated by the numeral 31 so that a smaller unit isslidably interlocked in a larger unit and cannot be removed. The upperends of theserods 28 and 29 are each provided with a resilientdoubled-over finger 32 which is secured to the member of which it formsa co-acting element and has a cam lug 33 which is adapted to passthrough a slot within the wall of the unit to which it is attached, andis adapted, whenthe rods 25, 28 and 29 are extended, to projectexteriorly of said rods 25, 28 and .29 when these latter are extendedand assume a position immediately below the lower extremity of the nexthigher member. The lowermost hollow rod, such as that indicated by thenumeral 29, is provided with a peg34 which is adapted to be driven intothe ground and retain the frame in rigid position upon an area. When theframe has been formed a tarpaulin 35 is adapted to form the side wallswhich are draped over thetent frame, and a second member 36 forms aroof. This roof 36 overlaps the wall of the tent frame in order toprovide an eave for the drainage of the surfaces of the roof 3 5. Byproviding one of the walls with a partly loose flap 37 an entrance roofor lean-to is provided by raising this flap 37 and supporting thecorners of this flap 37 upon a plurality of telescoping tubes 38, 39 and40 which have sue cessively larger diameters in order to permit theinsertion of one member into the other. One of the end tubes 40 isprovided with a T-fitting which slips over one of the members or rods 38and thereby supports the flap 37 in horizontal position to protect theentrance of the tent fromthe elements.

The device is adapted to form a rigid tent frame which may beconstructed in a short time at any given spot and may be compactlyfolded, by telescoping the frame sections one into another, into a smallbundle which may be conveniently carried upon hiking, hunting or campingtrips All of the corner sections, including the cave tubular units 18,with their members 21 attached thereto and the side support sections comprising the hollow rods 25, 28 and 29 or more sections if desired,telescope one into the other and are pivotally connected the spider 10so that when the device is folded the support members, which whenextended comprise the members 25, 28 and 29 or more sections asillustrated in Figure 2, fold successively one into the other and thenare rotated to a position where these folded sections assume a parallelrelation and may then be enclosed in a bag or container to preserve thesame.

Figure 3 showsthe sections forming one corner of the frame in completelycollapsed position, and this view encompasses one more hollow rod thandoes Figure 1, but 1t s to be noted that the number of sections requiredto construct a tent frame is not-to be taken into consideration, as thenumber depends'entirely upon the dimensions of the material used. 1 I VIt is also to be noted that certain changes in form and construction maybe made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a tent; frame, aplurality of mutually telescoping units, a spiderpivotally connecting one end of said units, said unitscomprising atubular member adapted to form the roof frame, a brace bracket on saidtubular tube when said hollow rods are in extended position, a resilientfinger mounted in said hollow rods, a cam lug on said finger passingthrough the wall of said rods and adapted to project therefrom, said camlug being adapted to engage the extremity of the next successively largehollow rod to latch saidhollow rods in extended position, and a ballprojecting endwise from the largest hollow rod and movable in saidtubular member whereby both members form arotatable oint.

2. In a tent frame,a plurality of mutually telescoping units, a spiderpivotally connecting one end of said units, said units comprising atubular member adapted to form the roof frame, a brace bracket on saidtubular member, pivoted hinge arms on said tubular member projectingtherefrom, a plurality of hollow rods telescoping successively one intothe other, the largest hollow rod telescoping into said tubular member,said tubular member and said hollow rods having constricted open ends,anexternal shoul der formed on said hollow rods, said external shoulderbeing adapted toseat upon said constricted portion of the nextsuccessively larger tube when said hollow rods are in extended position,a resilient finger mounted in said hollow rods, a'cam lug on said fingerpassing through the wall of said rods'and adapted to project therefrom,said cam lug being adapted to engage the extremity of the nextsuccessively large hollow rod to,

latch said'hollow rods in extended position, a ball mountedjon thelargest hollo'w rod slidable in said tubular member, said tubular memberbeing constricted to prevent removal 7 of said ball from said tubularmember, and

whereby said largest hollow. rod isswingable with respect to saidtubular member.

In testimony whereofv we aflix our signatures. T I o 1 KURT LANGE.;,

MAX BUSCH. I a

